Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to import images larger than the movies pixel-size?

iStopMotion will automatically resize and crop the image to fill the preview area. As the ascpect ratio will be constrained it is possible that two sides are cut off if the images' aspect ratio does not match the aspect ratio of the iStopMotion movie.

How do I cut a movie and add sound?

iStopMotion is designed to take scenes using the stop motion animation technique. If you want to cut several scenes into a movie, give it a nice background music or add titles and special effects, we recommend that you export the iStopMotion scenes to a DV stream and import them into iMovie or Final Cut Pro. With iStopMotion 2 you can add a soundtrack to see if it fits to your animation. If you want to use Lip Synchonization you need an Express license at least. iStopMotion 2 Pro has Final Cut Pro support.

Where can I buy iStopMotion 2?

If you are new to iStopMotion, a build-in assistant will guide you through the purchase process. Follow the instructions on "How can I update to iStopMotion 2?" If you don't want to use the assistant, see the Buy page for details.

How do I report a problem to Boinx Software?

iStopMotion 2 provides a feedback assistant, that sends your feedback directly to our support team. If you don't want to use the assistant, or your Mac running iStopMotion is not connected to the internet, please use the Support Form to report Problems and Feature Requests. Please provide us with these information when reporting a problem:

• Product and Product Version
• License (Home, Express, Pro)
• OS X version and Quick Time version
• Hardware information
• Camera Type
• Programs running in the background

How can I put my work on your Example list?

Send us a link to your movie and some further information like: who made the movie, the movie's name and any other information you like about the movie and how it was created. If you can not put your movie into a mail you can also send a CD or DVD.

What cameras are supported by iStopMotion?

In general every DV-Camcorder with Firewire connector works with iStopMotion 2. iSight and integrated iSight also work fine. HD-Camcorder only work if they are connected via HDMI. Some USB-webcams work with third-party drivers installed. We recommend to get a demo license to try if your camera is supported. If you come from iStopMotion 1 and your camera works with it, it will work fine in iStopMotion 2.

Will my Still Camera work with iStopMotion?

If your camera supports the Picture Transfer Protocol, iStopMotion can import pictures from the camera. Some cameras also support remote capture, where the computer tells the camera to shoot a picture and that picture is immediately transfered to the computer. In this case, iStopMotion treats the imported picture just like it would treat a live stream from a video cam. Get a demo license and use the Still Camera Assitent to find out if your camera works with iStopMotion. You can find a list of tested cameras here. Still cameras don't support live preview, which means you have to take a picture with it, before you can see the actual sceen in iStopMotion.

In the list over supported still cameras you have the following entries Nikon D50 and Nikon DSC D50 - what is the difference?

Some camera makers like Nikon equip their cameras with two different USB modes, which is rather confusing and probably unnecessary. When set to "Mass Storage" mode, which unfortunately is the default, the camera reports being a "Nikon DSC D50". In order to be able to capture images with the camera, set it to "PTP" mode. That can be done from the "System" menu, "USB" on Nikon cameras. Once set to "PTP" the camera reports itself as "Nikon D50" via USB. Same for D70, some Coolpix models and probably more.

What happened to the Still Camera Plugin?

Starting with version 2, still camera support is no longer a separate option. You can use still cameras with all flavors of iStopMotion 2, Home, Express and Pro. There's no special update for users of the version 1 Still Camera Plugin, but there is update pricing for iStopMotion 1.x users.

If I use a Still Camera, will I be able to record high resolution movies?

For movies with a resolution of more than DV (PAL/NTSC) you need an iStopMotion 2 Pro license. Using a still camera in connection with iStopMotion 2 Home and Express will let you capture pictures with it and produce movies up to DV (PAL/NTSC) resolution.

My cam goes into sleep mode. How can I prevent this?

iStopMotion can not keep the camera from timing-out and turning off. Please try to use your camera without tape and/or plug the camera in the power outlet.

How do I install my license?

If you purchased a license via the In-Application-Store, it is already installed. If you purchased it via a web store, please read the tutorial on installing your license key.

iStopMotion 2 does not start on my Mac. What to do?

iStopMotion 2 requires Mac OS X Tiger (10.4.x) to operate. Sometimes it feels like iStopMotion is not starting while the application icon is bouncing in the dock. After a minute or so, the application will work normally. If this happens over and over again, please turn of auto-update in preferences. As a customer you will receive our newsletter to be informed about software updates.

I am running Mac OS X 10.3.x Panther. What version can I use?

iStopMotion 2 uses many Tiger-only technologies and therefore cannot run on earlier versions of Mac OS X. If you need to stick to Panther (10.3.x) please continue using iStopMotion 1.10.3. Both 1.10.3 and 2 are universal applications running natively on PPC and Intel based Macs. You can download version 1.10.3. Boinx Software does no longer support versions earlier than Panther.

How can I update to iStopMotion 2?

Please make sure that you are running at least Mac OS X 10.4.0, preferably the latest revision. Follow the steps below to update:

1. Download iStopMotion 2.
2. Follow the instructions to install the application.
3. Start iStopMotion. A built-in assistant should guide you through updating your previous license. Please note that iStopMotion 2 comes in three different flavors, depending on your needs: Home, Express and Pro. The assistant will briefly inform you about the differences between them.